Beautiful, strong and well-conditioned racehorses are always the center of attention on the track at Scarborough Downs but last Saturday, that attention shifted to horses in need, as members of the Maine Amateur Driving Club presented a check in the amount of $1,985 to the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals.

Meris Bickford, CEO of the Windham, Maine-based equine rescue organization, was on hand to accept the contribution before an overflowing Opening Day crowd as the Downs kicked off its 63rd consecutive meeting.

Amateur driving competitions have a long history in the sport of harness racing harkening back to the days when neighbors driving horse-led surreys might match strides on a back country road for no other purposes than sheer enjoyment and perhaps friendly bragging rights. While today's amateur driving clubs are a bit more organized, amateur drivers are still not allowed to accept monetary compensation for their efforts, so the 5% commission normally paid to the drivers in a professional race are held in account and dedicated to charitable causes.

"As responsible horsemen, we recognize the need to care for our horses, both while they are racing and after their athletic careers are through," said leading MADC driver Bo Sowers. "So it was just a logical decision to choose the MSSPA as our charitable recipient this year. Their good work on behalf of neglected horses is admirable and regretfully necessary. We're hopeful that this contribution will go a long way toward realizing our common goals."

The MSSPA is the largest equine rescue organization in the State of Maine. For more information on the organization please visit their website at www.MSSPA.org. For more information, contact Susan Higgins at 207-883-4331 x1002 or via email at Shiggins@scarboroughdowns.com.